Allow for democratic process

Tuesday, 30 October 2018 00:55 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Democracy is denoted by a balance of power. In Sri Lanka, there are three main branches of power; the Executive, Parliament, and Judiciary. These branches of Government are expected to balance each other so that power is not concentrated in one institution and people will have the optimum space for freedom. Therefore, the effective suspension of one critical institution, Parliament, has resulted in reducing the representation of the people.

Democracy is very important for a nation because it provides people an opportunity to voice their opinion and vote for what they believe in, it holds elected officials accountable for their behaviour while in office, and it prevents a minority from dictating the policies of a majority. Parliament is the institution that houses the representatives of the people, and this selection is made taking into account the diverse ethnicities and social economic background of all Sri Lankans.

Since elections are expensive and time-consuming affairs, Parliamentarians are selected for a specific period of time. Parliament terms also typically extend for between four to six years because formulating, debating and implementing policies takes time, and each Government should be given a reasonable amount of time to achieve their goals. Once the term ends, Parliament is dissolved and the actions of that Government are put to the test at an election. The results then decide the composition of the next Parliament.

Parliament plays a massive role in ensuring democracy by upholding transparency, accountability and the Constitution. Parliament may be an imperfect institution but it is nonetheless an essential one. Therefore, the proroguing of Parliament has triggered a serious situation that could have a deep impact on Sri Lanka’s Constitution and how it is followed by future governments. All three branches of Government are ultimately responsible for upholding the rule of law and one branch cannot supersede the other.

Rating agency Moody’s yesterday called for a swift resolution to the political uncertainty, pointing out that it was a credit negative for the country and the additional risk resulting from it would be a disadvantage when Sri Lanka goes to international capital markets to raise funds for debt repayments that will start from early 2019. There is also severe risk from losing potential investors and continued slow growth unless political stability is established in line with the law.

The credibility of the country is also at stake with many international partners, including the US, EU and India, who are also Sri Lanka’s largest trade partners, calling for the convening of Parliament and to make a decision involving the Parliamentary process. Many other constitutional experts have also pointed out that this would be the best way forward and a way to respect the tradition of democracy. Running roughshod over this process will have deep and lasting consequences for Sri Lanka’s future prospects in governance.

Respect for due process is also important. Street protests are due to kick off from today, and as Speaker Karu Jayasuriya pointed out, if the questions over the Constitution are not resolved by convening Parliament, the issue of who is legally the Prime Minister may spill over onto the streets, resulting in serious consequences that no one wants to think of.